Betty Davis

All but seven years of her life were spent in her hometown area of Fort Smith where she was born to the late H.A. and Juanita Barnard. It was here she met the love of her life, the late Presley D. Davis, spending nearly 62 years with him before his death. Her greatest honor in life was to be a loving wife to a godly husband and to become a mother to four children she loved with all her heart.

A humble servant of her Lord, Betty was a light to everyone who had the opportunity to know her. The beginning of her servitude began as a young girl at the age of 10 playing piano in a Sunday school department. She went on to serve in churches as either a pianist or organist in some capacity for 60 years. Betty also taught 3 and 4 year old classes as a teenager, and continued to teach Sunday school classes into adulthood. As an adult, she served as the superintendent of the children’s Sunday School department and as a teen youth sponsor and leader.

The experience of this position in her church led to her being selected to work within the Office of Hearings & Appeals, the appellate branch of the Social Security Administration in Fort Smith. Within three years, she was promoted to Hearing Office Manager. After 27 total years of employment with the federal government, she retired in the year 2000.

Because of her devotion to her Lord & family, Betty became known as the faithful family prayer warrior. She spent many hours in conversation and prayer over her four children, seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren, with one on the way.

Betty made many new connections in the last seven years of her life after moving to Russellville, AR to live near one of her daughters. Most of these connections were with her Life Group at First Baptist Church, the ladies in Bible Study Fellowship, and her neighbors.

She is survived by her sister, Jo Ann (Jerry) Dixon of Fort Smith; a brother, David Barnard Sr. of Tyler, TX; her four children, Perry (Kourtney) Davis of Van Buren, Angela (Mark) Self of Russellville, Esther (Scott) Bates of Hot Springs and Philip (Janell) Davis of Eugene, OR; grandchildren Erica Davis, Preston (Heather) Davis, Jared (Micah) Self, Miriam Bates, Callie (Francisco) Gomez, Nicole Means and Naomi Bates, 7 great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12, at First Baptist Church in Russellville, AR. A visitation will be from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Edwards Funeral Home in downtown Fort Smith with a committal service. Burial will be private at the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church which will be sent to the Lottie Moon Christmas offering for foreign missions. Betty has always had a heart for foreign missions and the family would be honored for you to remember her in this way. Checks may be sent to FBC, PO Box 36, Russellville, AR 72811.